Concealed Love

Chapter-55 "Given up on me"

Al knocked at Ella's door and asked, " Ella? Are you still there? Can we talk if you're not asleep? "

He waited silently for some time and Ella slowly came and opened the door for him, she asked, " Do you need something? "

She tried her best to look normal but it was not working on Al, he looked through her into the room and saw the wine on the table, he frowned a little as he told her, " Let's talk for some time, can we? "

She was reluctant but eventually let him in, there was only a chair in the room so she let Al sit on it and she sat on the foot of the bed.

Al looked at the table and said with a concerning tone, " We're you drinking by yourself? Don't do it often, it isn't healthy for you. "

Ella didn't look up at him, she looked at the wine than looked down again and said, " I don't drink it often and it's fine even if I do, I used to do it and I am not gonna be affected by something like that anyway." She scoffed at herself and said, " I can't even get drunk even if I want to, so don't worry. "

Al didn't want to push her when she is already so down so he said, " Is something bothering your mind Ella? "

But Ella was a prideful woman, she was not someone who laid her heart out in the open, her life so far didn't allow her to and she had been living like that for so long that she had even forgotten how to do it anymore. She shook her head slightly and said, " No, everything is fine."

Al knew that if he wanted to hold a conversation with her he had to pull out by force whatever was in her mind, and let her pour out whatever on her mind that was suppressing her heart.

He made a troubled face as he didn't want to agitate her nor hurt her with any wrong word of his. He made up his mind, " I know that everything is not fine just by looking at you. Can you please share with me whatever is in your mind? Is.. Are you bothered by what my father brought up earlier? If so you don't have to think about that, I will wait until you're ready, even if it takes forever, I told you so before as well. "

" But I don't want you to, I don't want you to wait for me forever, I don't want you to hold yourself back from living your life in content because of me. " Ella talked as she clenched on the bed sheets.

Al, " You're not and you won't ever, I am already content with whatever I have and I will always wish for things to be this way. "

Ella looked up at her with teary sad eyes and said, " I don't want to ruined that content life of yours, I can't don't want to ruin the happiness of you and your family."

Al looked at her urging her, trying to convince her, " You won't, my parents love you, they are happy that you're with me. They will be more than happy to include you as our family member."

" That's because they don't know me, they don't know I am a demon, a monster who may burn herself tomorrow or probably never grow older even when they die. I am a selfish woman Al, I wouldn't be able to bear it when they found out about me and hate me. I don't want to break their hope of a perfect future for their only son. And I will go insane if one day you decided to leave me, I don't want that I don't wanna be alone again.. If I am going to go throught it anyway, I want leave before my ugliness ruins the life of the people around me again. "

She couldn't bear the thought anymore, her mind was overflowing with all the pent up feelings that she finally broke down, tears were flowing out of her as her azure eyes got flooded and clouded by them. She wiped them off repeatedly off her eyes but they didn't stop and only kept wetting her cheeks more.

Al walked up to the sobbing girl in front of him, bend down on his knees and helped her wipe the tears off, caressing her face saying, " Don't cry, don't cry, it's okay, I wouldn't let anything like that happen. "

But Ella kept crying, " I don't want it, I don't want to be alone again I don't want to hurt anyone again. "

Al with one knee still on the ground pull her down closer to him holding her neck and kissed her. Ella stoped crying in shock, and only the sniffles remain, Al stoped and gave her a light peck again wiping the remaining teardrops off her face and sitting upon the bed with her and hugging her.

Ella still hadn't clear her mind, she obediently rest her head on Al's chest and Al gently hold her giving her head little kisses and patting her back.

He spoke, " I promise I will never leave you, I promise to protect you, I promise to love you forever, I promise to help you keep yourself in control. I will find a way to turn you back to normal and if I can't I will reincarnate myself again and again so please don't give up on me, please don't give up on your feelings for my sake. I will always love you so please love me always too. "

He rubbed her back gently up and down, comforting her, he was sad to see her crying face, it broke him too but he was also glad that she finally said it and depended on him.

Ella spoke up withing soft unstoppable sniffles, " Iam sorry for being so troublesome, I love you too. I don't wanna let you go ever, I don't wanna give up, I can't so I'll trust you to be with me forever. "

Al smiled hugging her tighter in his embrace and kissing her head one more time, " That's my woman, you can alllwaayyss belive me to love you. "

She nodded with a cute sniffle making his heart itch, " I am sorry for making you cry, are you okay now? "

Ella told him, " It's okay I am okay now. " She lift her head up looking at him and said, " But I haven't forgiven you for kissing me. "

He made a sad pouty face and said, " I am sorry, you were crying so much I didn't know how to stop you anyway else. " He saw her still glaring at him and guiltily added, " And I really wanted to kiss those soft lips. "

Ella squinted her eyes saying, " I won't forgive you. " He was about to apologize again but she raised herself up a little and kissed his lips then quickly hid in his chest again, " Now we're even. "

Al felt like his heart had stopped that moment, it took him a moment to register it all in his head before he look down at the culprit in his arm and squeezing her, " Argggg, how dare you attack me with that cute move, my heart stopped. "

He hugged her and shook them both together kissing her head again. Ella laughed and said, " Stop kissing my head, you'll make it bald. "

Al also chuckled, " Then where shall I kiss? " He looked at her with mischievous eyes.

Ella shrugged, " Kiss the wall, that's not my problem." She rubbed her face in his chest and said, " Go back to your room now. "

Al looked at her with squinted eyes and said, " If you keep doing things like that I'll really attack you. "

Ella smiled and giving him a tight hug she stood up and pushed him out the door. Al gave her a kiss on the forehead before leaving and said, " A smile suits you best. "

She smiled and acting smugly she closed the door. He smiled and saying, " Sweet dreams Ella he got back to his room. "

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Next day early morning, Iri got up and went down to get some water, she poured herself a glass and drank it, when she turned back to leave she screamed in surprise, Jace was standing behind her with panda eyes.

When she screamed Jace sighed and hold his forehead. Iri asked him in shock looking at his face, " What happened? Are you sick? "

Al also came down from behind and asked, " what happened? "

Jace turned to him glaring at him and said, " Do you not have other guest room in this place? "

Al asked confused, " Why? Did something happen? "

Jace said, " Your voices happened. "

Al thought for a while then realise that his room was next door, he laughed by himself and said, " Sorry, if you want I'll ask Sira to prepare you a new place. " He laughed again, " If that's all I'll be going up. "

He left and the curious Iri asked, " What? What? What happened? "

" They were together last night and I couldn't sleep because of the voices. " Jace said it reluctantly as the memories from last night came fresh in his mind.

Iri blushed and lowering down her voice a little she asked, " What.. What voices? "

" No, they were just talking and... Anyway you do know about those stuff huh. " Jace raised an eyebrow at her.

Iri blushed and jumped back stuttering, " No I.. I was just asking, what were they talking about? "

" I don't know, I only hear some muffled voices not the words, and I don't even want to know about it. " He sighed.

" Oh, if you're tired you can take more sleep, I'll go by myself for today. " Iri suggested.

Jace scratched the back of his ear, " Nah, I'll drop you off, just bear with it for now. "

Iri quickly said, " No I don't mean to... I don't mind you dropping me off, I don't bear it, I like it. "

Jace looked unconvinced, " Oh okay, then I'll drop you off at the usual timing. " He said that and was about to leave without even doing whatever he entered the kitchen for.

Iri stopped him, " Why do you sound like you don't believe me, I really mean it. "

Jace was at a lost for what to say he fixed his eyes down at the ground, " Okay, I'm sorry for stating it like that. "

" Jace? ...Have you given up on me? "

Jace snapped his head up to look at her and saw that she was on the verge of tears, he went up to her but hesitate to touch her and console her. He frowned and said, " No, don't think things like that. "

Iri looked up only to see his troubled frown, making her feel more sad, she hold back her tears and said, " Sorry, I was just thinking nonsense. " She forced herself to smile at him and walked away.

Jace knew that he had unconsciously hurted her, he frowned and massage his head with his hand.

When it was time for them to go out, Ella got ready earlier than usual and was waiting for him, he was usually the one waiting for her and when he asked, " shall we go? " She just nodded.

It was a quiet ride on the way to work, she used to be the one to talk about her work, whether it was a complaint or any event and he listened to her quietly but with Iri sitting quietly, the ride was just an awkward and quiet one.

She could not even wait to reach the place, as soon as he parked the car she got out thanked him and went up.

Jace wanted to stop her and talked things out with her but he couldn't bring himself to stop her as he didn't know what he should say to make her better. He frowned harder than before and rode the car away to another direction.

After dropping Iri off his usual routine was to go meet the people Old Li and go and meet the people he introduced to one by one, and even convince some to lend them a helping hand.